Mouth Questions

• Tongue-Tie:The normal tongue in newborns has a short, tight band that connects it to the floor of the mouth. This band normally stretches with time, movement, and growth. Tongue-tie rarely causes any symptoms.
• Epithelial Pearls: Little white-colored cysts can occur along the gumline or on the hard palate. These are due to blockage of normal mucous glands from friction associated with sucking. They disappear by 1 to 2 months of age.
  • Teeth: The presence of a tooth at birth is a rare event.
  • Approximately 10 percent of them are extra teeth without a root structure.
  • The other 90 percent are prematurely erupted normal teeth. The distinction can be made with an X-ray.
  • The extra teeth should be removed, usually by a dentist.
  • The normal teeth need to be removed only if they become loose (with a danger of choking) or if they cause sores on your baby's tongue.